Illuminated Faces
by Guessworks
Summary: Dark, deep underground, runs an illegal genetic modification facility. They choose their subjects carefully, picking them out of their lives with no chances to ever go back. Separated from the world, with their comrades dies their hopes... AU
1. Chapter 1: Hello

The blue haired teen contacted the ground with a smack; a tall figure loomed over the 17 year-old's delicate frame. The guard sneered and kicked the poor victim.

"Get up."

The teen did as he was told, getting up meekly. His normally bright blue eyes were dull and opened wide in fear. He was shirtless, with the facility's gray pants hanging loosely from his waist. A large snaking scar adorned his neck and most of his shoulders. Burn scars were also evident on his bare abdomen. Normally shiny and silky blue hair hung in front of his eyes in greasy clumps. Yes, this particular subject was a sight to behold.

The guard shoved the bluenette violently towards the end of the stark white corridor. The teen stumbled, but caught himself in time. His breaths came in ragged gasps, thanks to the warden's brutal treatment; large purple bruises started to form on the fragile boy. He wanted to speak, but couldn't. The injuries from his past prevented that, so he moved his lips silently, as if praying.

The final door, set in the far right corner, slid open. The teen was pushed through; he once again collided with the polished white ground. He sat up with difficulty, handcuffs scratching the material that made up the floor. His pusillanimous gaze scanned the room. A bed was folded into the wall near where he was sitting, next to another smaller door. In the middle of a room there was a large contraption that looked a lot like an operating table.

The main door slid open with a hiss, revealing a pudgy man in a white lab coat. His mustache twitched as he smiled deviously. The scientist approached the teen, each footstep producing an eerie clomp.

"You're the first to arrive." The short man bent down and brought his face close to the bluenet's. The 17 year-old flinched. "Heh. I'm gonna have fun with you."

The scientist brushed the sitting boy's cheek with the back of his hand before walking up to the contraption in the middle of the room. He grabbed a small white cube that unfolded into two bars. The man pressed a button, and the institution's logo appeared. The scientist sighed and dragged a finger across the screen, trying to find the correct page. He let out a satisfied "Ah" as he came upon it.

"Let's see. Marth Lowell, was in a violent car crash five years ago, damaged his throat. Cannot speak. Seventeen years old, tall, skinny, pale, natural blue hair. Would that be you?" The creepy man turned his attention towards the terrified teen. Marth nodded; the scientist grinned.

"Good, good. You'll meet the other subjects soon enough." He put down the screen and brushed his hands off on his spotless lab coat. The pudgy man's head turned towards the door as the sound of another guard approaching.

"Here's another one now." The scientist smiled sadistically. A teen, about 15 or 16 years old, landed roughly on the floor in a manner that was no different than Marth's. The boy's brown hair partially covered his child-like features and cerulean eyes. He saw the bluenette and opened his mouth, but quickly shut it as he noticed the scientist.

Grabbing the screen once again, the scientist shuffled through a bunch of subjects' information before coming up with the correct one.

"You must be Pit Icarus. 16 years old, child-like features, brown hair, incredible fear of heights, adoptive child of Paletuna, the political leader who was assassinated a year ago."

"Yes." Unlike Marth, Pit's expression showed no fear; in fact, it was hard and challenging. The man walked up to the brunette and bent down.

"You're quite the nice specimen. What should I do with you..." he circled the shirtless teen.

"Where am I?" Pit asked harshly. The scientist laughed.

"Hasn't it clued in by now?" the sound of more guards was heard, as well as a screech. The scientist ignored these and walked towards the small door near Marth.

"This is the experiment room. This door here-" he paused to punch in a code. "is your room. Six subjects per room. I believe two 'veterans' were assigned to your room as well. Any questions you have, they can answer." A guard walked in.

The warden motioned for the two boys to get up. Once they were on their feet, the teens were directed into their room. The guard then removed their handcuffs and walked out. The scientist's malevolent laugh echoed throughout the experiment chamber.

"Experiments start in a week." With that, the door slid shut. There was barely any light in the room except for a small beam filtering from a slit on the far wall. Marth approached it and looked out into the hall. Pit walked over to a bed in the far left corner, frowning when he noticed that the "beds" were in fact just a board attached to the walls. There were no blankets or pillows, and when Pit sat down, the board felt freezing.

"You know my name. What's yours?" The brunet tilted his head to the side.

Marth turned around from his post and blinked at the other teen, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed. The bluenet pointed to his throat and shook his head.

"You can't speak?" Pit deduced. Marth nodded and sat down on the bed at the center of the right wall. He stood up quickly, noticing he had sat on something. Looking down, he noticed a white notepad and pen; he picked them up gingerly.

Pit watched the boy scribble furiously for about a minute. Suddenly, the notepad landed on his lap; the brunet picked it up and narrowed his eyes, struggling to read in the dim light.

_Marth. I used to be able to speak, and I know how, but I was in a car accident five years ago, and I was injured really badly. _

_So you're Pit, right? Paletuna's son_?

Pit threw the notepad back.

"Nice to meet you Marth." Marth smiled, the fear in his eyes starting to dissipate. "Yeah, I'm Pit. Paletuna adopted me when I was a baby."

Pit and Marth made conversation in this manner for a while before being interrupted by the door being opened and a blonde being thrown in violently.

"Fuck you!" she screeched, getting up. A redheaded teen was pushed in after her. He noticed the two teens sitting on their respective beds and pounced on a board, claiming it as his own.

"Hello." The redhead smiled. "I'm Roy. I have no clue who this bitch is." A kick sent him tumbling off his bed.

"Samus." the girl said, crossing her arms over her breasts, which were barely covered. Her legs showed no skin, as she wore the same gray sweatpants as the boys; her top however, was a very low cut sleeveless tank top. She wore no bra and her breasts bounced freely as she made her way towards the bed in the other far corner, across from Pit.

"I'm Pit, and that's Marth. He can't speak." Marth nodded. A little while into the conversation later, the bluenet knew that Roy was a 15 year old with a strange fascination for fire.

All the while, Pit just sat, staring at Samus, who had her eyes closed. Peeling one open, she noticed the teen staring at her.

"What are you looking at?" She hissed threateningly.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere..." Pit studied the girl. She looked at him.

"That is highly unlikely. You're Pit Icarus." She spat out his name with venom. "I'm Samus Aran. There's no way I could have known you, not in any of the 16 years I've lived."

Pit shook his head. He knew this girl...

All conversations ceased and a beautiful and delicate girl walked in. Her waist-length hair was parted in the middle, with one side pale white blonde and the other mouse brown; She wore a jumpsuit identical to Samus'. A tall blue-haired teen was thrown in after. Marth ducked as the boy crashed into the wall behind him.

"Zelda." The girl smiled. "That's Ike..." she continued, sitting on the free bed in the center, across from Marth.

"Sorry." muttered Ike grimly as he got off of Marth's "bed" and made his way to the last free one.

"I'm Roy. You guys the 'veterans' that scientist guy was talking about?"

Zelda nodded.

"He's been here four years, I've been here three. Usually subjects die within a year, but our experiments were successful, so after a 'rest period', we're being put back on the operating table."

Zelda expertly caught the notepad sailing through the air towards her.

_I'm Marth. What experiments did they perform on you two? And what's up with Ike_?

Zelda turned her head towards the tall 17 year-old "veteran", who was sitting cross-legged with his forehead against the wall. The center of his chest emitted a soft blue glow that illuminated the small part of the room he was in. The glow revealed Ike's arms, which were a tangle of steel, wires and soft blue lights. Turning her attention back to Marth and Roy, she smiled.

"Well, in my case, they wanted to see if they could heighten my senses and give me 'powers', I suppose." she paused and brushed her hair away from her face, revealing an elongated ear. "It worked, and I have all kinds of transplants. For most of me, they cut me up and put me back together in a different way. I've gained all kinds of uncanny abilities.

"As for Ike... they wanted to see if someone could live with a robotic heart and a couple robotic vital organs. They also replaced his arms with mechanics. He's more of the strong silent type, unless he gets angry or is dealing with the staff here."

"What do you think the scientist guy will do to us? And where are we? Why are we here? How-" Roy's mouth clamped shut inexplicably. Zelda gave him a gentle smile and released her seemingly magic hold on the boy.

"Usually he exploits fears or attributes. Like, let's say you have a fear of a certain animal, usually he'll 'merge' you with said animal." The brunette answered the redhead's first question. "We're in the Exepolis Center of Scientific Military Research. We are here because we're the test subjects. As for why we in particular are here, it's because of our pasts, fears and traits."

The girl caught the notepad once again.

_Thanks for the info._

Zelda smiled and threw the notepad back at the bluenet. She took a deep breath.

"No problem Marth. Now, my turn for questions: who are those two?" She pointed towards the two figures on the corner beds. Samus was ripping the bottom legs of her jumpsuit to try and make a ribbon long enough to tie her long blonde hair back. Pit was staring at his feet, deep in thought.

"Pit and Samus." Roy answered turning his attention towards his two roommates.

Samus completely ignored the three conversing teens and proceeded rip violently at her pant leg. She produced a long strip of gray fabric, which she secured around her long locks. Pit, on the other hand, had snapped out of his thoughts and was looking at the two new arrivals.

"Pit Icarus?" Zelda asked curiously, eyeing the cerulean-eyed brunet.

"Yes." He said, trying to make out the girl's features in the dim light.

"You weren't paying attention when I introduced myself, were you?" She inquired. Pit shook his head. "I'm Zelda Hyrule."

Pit's eyes widened in shock.

"Zel?" He asked his old friend.

"As I said before." She smiled. Soon the childhood friends were locked in a hug.

"I haven't seen you since Link disappeared!" The boy gasped out. Link had been Paletuna's close friend and advisor, and Zelda was his only daughter.

"We were both taken here." she murmured slowly. "We got separated. He is- or was, I'm not sure- in another sector."

"Soooooo, are you two a couple?" Roy inquired, leaning back against the wall. Zelda giggled.

"We're like brother and sister, I could never date him." The girl ruffled her friend's hair. Pit smiled.

"I agree. There's no way I could go out with anyone so annoying." The comment earned him a shove from Zelda. The boy lost his balance and landed on the ground unceremoniously. With a small smirk and a chuckle, he sat back down on his bed.

Conversation went on for a little while, with mostly questions from Roy, which Zelda answered sweetly. At one point, Samus fell asleep, and awhile after that, so did Pit. Ike remained in his position, forehead against the wall, while Roy, Zelda and Marth conversed.

At exactly 10:00 PM, the hallway light shut off silently and the harsh yell of "To bed!" rang out. Mumbled goodnights were heard from our little group of subjects.

As everybody fell asleep peacefully, a certain veteran lifted his head from the wall and looked around, using the dull, dust-covered lights on his chest and arms to illuminate unconscious faces. The blue-haired teen took in a sharp, deep breath and lay down, mulling over the information he'd learned from listening to the others.

_They seem strong. Maybe, with their help, I can finally escape…_

**A/N: Ah ha, another story from me! I actually started this one during the final chapters of District 58 as a little break from it, but I liked my idea, so I just went with it.**

**Anyway, I think this is the longest chapter I have written for this site yet XD Let's see if I can keep it up.**

**R&R, and see you next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2: Missing

The portly scientist walked promptly down the stark white hallway, passing the many experimentation chambers and dorms. At the very end of the hall was a tall guard dressed in sharp black and a petite, tanned blonde in a tight pearl dress. As he approached the pair, the beautiful voice of a young girl rose in a melancholic melody from one of the dorms, which the warden silenced with a stomp and a loud warning.

"Director."

The portly man acknowledged his superior with a slight bow.

"Are you ready?"

The blonde looked at the man with an unreadable expression and nodded satisfyingly when he responded with a respectful yes.

They silently made their way into Experimentation Chamber S9-D4. The self-proclaimed doctor walked over to his complex operation table and started setting everything up, occasionally mumbling commands to the machine. The director stood, scrutinizing her employee while her armored guard slunk into the dorm.

When the warden emerged, letting the door slide shut with a hiss, he held the groggy form of a brown-haired teen, which was quickly secured to the equipment in the center of the room. Once the boy became fully aware, a look of pure horror and fear flickered across his childlike features for a split second before he composed himself. The beautiful, though slightly slutty-looking woman took a couple of steps until she was face-to-face with the boy; her pale pink heels made eerie clack-clacks as she walked. A golden necklace bearing the logo of the facility, a crown made of DNA ladders, hung around her long neck and made her overly sweet smile stand out.

Without saying a word, the director swiveled around and walked back to her previous spot, white gloved hands clasped behind her back. The portly scientist then issued a quiet command to his operating table after a curt nod from his boss. The man's mustache twitched slightly as he pulled out a beautifully simple and obviously sharp blade that glistened in the unnatural white light of the room. He motioned for the guard to flip the subject over. The warden did as ordered.

The teen, now lying on his stomach, was tilted along with the table at a forty-five degree angle. A low, hollow tune was hummed by the "doctor" as the man walked behind his specimen and pressed the cool blade against the boy's back; the brunet squirmed slightly at the feel of it pressing against the skin over his shoulder blade.

"Don't worry." The scientist said in his creepily gruff voice. "This will only hurt a lot."

* * *

Roy sat up with a start, an agonized shriek piercing his ears. Ike was already pressing himself against the door in a vain attempt to break it, while Zelda just winced. Marth looked absolutely terrified; Samus was by far the worst, though. She was huddled in the corner of her "bed", long blond hair draped over her face, and eyes wide with horror as another pained screech filled the air.

"What's happening?"

Roy murmured, blinking at Ike, who sunk to his knees in front of the ever so cruel metal door. One blue, desperation-filled eye and one vermillion mechanical one stared back at the redhead.

"It's started."

* * *

It was five in the morning. A muffled thump rang out in the silent dorm, where after much coaxing from Zelda, everybody had fallen asleep. Samus' eyes shot open, darting around to make sure falling off the board serving as her bed had not awoken anyone. Seeing that it hadn't, she sat up, immediately noticing something in the darkness.

Sticky, half-dried liquid coated the floor in a thin layer, half-visible in the dim light, and in the bed across from her lay an unmoving heap. The blonde, on her hands and knees, crawled across the four meters of the warm liquid that separated the beds. Kneeling at the foot of the board, her delicate hand came across something other than the substance: it was soft to the touch. Bringing it up close to her face, Samus narrowed her eyes and tried her hardest to make out the slim object.

Where it was soft, it was pure white. There were some small spots where it was hard, crusty, and dark; Samus soon realized what it was and brought her attention to the heap laying on the bed. She reached out and brushed something as equally soft as the object she held in her hand. The large appendage, made of varying sizes and lengths of pure white, was also spotted in dark.

Under the cover of the wing lay a teenage boy, whose back was crusted with the same liquid as the floor. As she ran her fingers gently over the now dried substance, it clicked: it was blood. He had dragged himself in the room after his experimentation and passed out on the bed.

Samus whipped around and stood up, coming face-to-face with the cyan glow of Ike's artificial heart. The boy looked down at their comrade with hollow sadness, as if he was reliving a traumatic moment of his past.

"At least he's not as bad as Falco."

Zelda put her hand on Ike's forearm, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her whisper earned a curious look from Samus, whom titled her head slightly to the side.

"His name wasn't really Falco. That's what we called him because he had a crooked nose that looked like a beak. His real name was Calen."

The cyborg closed his eyes when the female "veteran" started explaining, running a robotic hand through his messy indigo hair.

"The head scientist here... the self-proclaimed 'Doctor' Mario... he decided to make Falco into a bird hybrid. Blue feathers everywhere, a long beak, wings instead of arms. He never got a chance to wake up, though; some never do."

"They just die." Ike finished grimly.

"Samus, do you know what the point of this is?" Zelda whispered, making sure she wasn't disturbing Roy and Marth's sleep.

The blonde remained silent.

"Neither do we, really. Though from what we've been able to find out, they want to create a super-species of sorts; homo sapien sapien sapien maybe."

The tall, delicate girl brushed a strand of pale blonde hair back and let some brown fall in front of her face. Ike was looking at his feet and biting his lip ever so slightly.

"Let's just hope to fucking god he wakes up." A horse, tired whisper startled the trio, who turned around swiftly to find Roy and Marth approaching.

Samus lay back down on her makeshift bed and closed her eyes. After a couple minutes, the four others deduced she had fallen asleep. Sharing apprehensive glances, they proceeded to make their way back to their beds. Marth grabbed his notebook and started writing.

_Zelda, can't you use magic or whatever to heal him?_

The pointy-eared girl smiled softly.

"I've learned not to mess with the subjects. If we had Lucario in our dorm, we could make a team effort. But I can't be sure if it's going to kill him or how."

"Lucario?" Roy inquired, crossing his legs and brushing a strand of fiery red hair behind his ear.

"Well, once again, it's not his real name. His name is long and complicated, so we shortened it. Lucario was one of the subjects in my first dorm. He was in Ike's first dorm as well, a year before I was brought here; from my knowledge, he's been here the longest."

Zelda paused to adjust her position.

"At first, he was merged with a jackal. Then they added more structures, took away his vocal cords. When he was in my first dorm, they added a lot of a certain substance to his blood, and he glowed blue for days. Last time I spoke to him, he communicated telepathically and could see people's auras."

Suddenly, the door leading to their dorm slid open and an armor-clad guard slunk in. The visor from his armor glowed with an eerie red light that pinpointed the next subject. Marth's eyes widened when he realized that he was next; a desperate look was shot at Zelda, who looked away. Ike had his eyes screwed shut and his muscles tense, as if he was trying not to jump the warden.

Roy quickly glanced at the two others then helplessly watched as his mute friend was viciously dragged off. Silence filled the room for a while more, as if mourning Marth's presence. Samus slept on.

"I'm next."

Zelda's voice startled Roy. The girl was picking up Marth's notebook and reading over the contents. Her sad eyes met Roy's, then went to Pit's unconscious figure.

A long, wailing melody rose in the stale chamber air. Ike slowly stood and made his way over to the slit in the wall. He shushed the two others and listened carefully.

"Puff?" He called out.

The voice stopped singing, and strands of pink hair were visible through the opening opposite to theirs.

"Ike?" The singer's voice rang out with clear disbelief.

"Yes. Who's in your dorm?"

"Umm. Veterans, just me. Everybody else is new. Who's with you?" A big blue eye was visible to the cyborg now, peering at him curiously through the tiny opening.

"I have Zelda. Any strong ones?"

"This guy named Meta, this other one called Daniel Kale. Two others are dead already. There's this one guy who's still unconscious."

"Hmm. Well, I have one guy that was just taken, another unconscious, then two that haven't passed yet. But they all look-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

The metallic voice of a warden interrupted the conversation, and Ike made his way back to his bed.

"What was that all about?" Roy asked after a moment of silence. A grunt from Ike was his reply.

"Puff, or J, is another veteran. She likes to sing." Zelda put in, laying down and closing her eyes.

Silence settled over the subjects once more and the curious redhead did not dare ask another question.

"We're going to get as much subjects as we can. We will kill the Director. Then we'll escape."

And with those solemn words from Ike, they fell asleep once again.

* * *

**AN: I'm so sorry for not updating on time, guys. I've been bed-ridden for about two weeks now and I have been working on the story very slowly. I promise this will not happen often.**

**Getting back to the story: I like the beginning, not too sure about the end. Seems shaky to me. But oh well, at least the story is progressing! You guys should see what I have planned for the later chapters *evil grin***

**R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3: Awake and Alive

The door slid shut with a hiss.

Silence enveloped room S9-D4, but it's conscious occupants found no problem with it. Time ticked by slowly, almost cruelly, though the pair seemed not to notice. Not once did Samus or Ike hear Roy scream, not once did Marth, Pit or Zelda stir.

A wailing, melancholic melody echoed throughout the facility, its sorrowful lyrics heavy with emotion. The pair knew that Puff was mourning the loss of the dead subjects. None spoke or made a sound until the song was finished.

"Samus."

The blonde looked up at the cyborg, who was slowly rotating to face her.

"How long are you planning on keeping it secret?"

The girl pondered the question for a moment.

"Forever."

The blue-haired teen shook his head and gave her a sharp glance.

"Although I agree that it's better they not know for now, they will find out eventually."

"I don't care. It doesn't mean we all have to stay together after."

"I don't think it's going to be like that." Ike sighed and turned to face the wall. "I can basically see the guilt radiating off of you. You know you can't lie to me."

Samus did nothing but scoff and lay down for some much needed rest. Before closing her eyes, she ran her finger along the soft, bloodstained feather she kept tied around her neck on a worn grey string.

* * *

"Director."

The blonde subject curtly acknowledged the petite woman.

"My dear Samus, you do know there are cameras and recording devices in every dorm?"

The director's voice was cold, sharp; just like the white metal alloy that made up the facility.

"Of course I do. You do know all of this is extremely illegal?"

The girl's voice was hard and cold as well.

"Of course I do. Don't be silly."

The director, wrapped in a stylish stark white dress, gave the head scientist a nod of approval. The portly man produced a large syringe filled with a shade of green; the girl knew it was a type of genetically modified blood.

"Never thought I'd see the day."

The beautiful woman sighed with false regret and smiled her overly sweet smile before ripping off her necklace.

She swung it in front of the other blonde's face, letting the narrowed eyes take in the shape of the white gold pendant. Before leaving the room, the woman known as the Director smiled cruelly, and patted the subject on the cheek.

"Have fun."

* * *

A bubbling cough racked the boy's pained ribcage. The brunet screwed his eyes shut and shivered, pain lacing its way through his fatigued body. He felt dizzy and disoriented, not to mention he was in complete agony. The poor teen's mind was a twisted mess of dreams, memories, and nightmares, with no way to differentiate in between each.

Deigning to open his eyes slightly, he realized that the facility was in fact real. Right in front of him was a wall, enveloped in the complete black of the dorm. The boy coughed again, his whole body shaking violently.

"What... did they do to me..."

His hoarse voice cracked and broke in multiple places, and the sentence was barely a whisper. Swiveling so he was lying on his stomach, the brunet took it upon himself to try standing up.

It was a massive failure that ended with him landing on the cold floor. A raw screech of pain escaped the teen as he landed hard on his new appendages. Shooting up into a sitting position, he kept quiet and listened. Not a sound.

He scanned the room and immediately noticed something off. The soft cyan light that normally lit the area across the room was surprisingly dim. On top of that, everybody was barely breathing, and Samus was missing completely. Only once had poor Pit felt so terribly alone.

"Are you okay?"

The voice startled him into a standing position. The winged boy's body shook violently with the effort of walking to the slit in the wall; across the stark white hallway, a pair of big blue eyes looked back at him with genuine concern and curiosity.

"It hurts."

It was barely a whisper, but the facility was so silent he was sure the girl had heard.

"Did you just wake up?"

Her voice was sweet and bubbly, like bubble gum. From across the hall, looking through the opening, the brunet could tell that she had silky pink hair and sky blue eyes.

"Yeah."

"If you don't mind me asking, what did they do to you? Oh, forgot my manners. I'm J. Puff, by the way."

"Pit. I'm... I'm not too sure..."

Pit shuffled uncomfortably, trying to stop the violent shivers. Closing his eyes, he tried to tell if he could feel anything different about his body.

"I... I'm pretty sure I have wings."

"You're not like Falco, are you?"

The girl's voice was heavy with sorrow at the mention of what Pit assumed was a former subject.

"Falco?"

A violent cough racked the boy.

"Ah. So you were the first to go up, then. Well, the fact that you're alive is good enough for me. This wasn't the worst, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Wait a couple of hours; see if the others wake up. After that Ike will explain."

Pit swallowed hard at Puff's answer.

"If they wake up?"

No reply came.

* * *

The first thing Marth did when he woke up was take in a gasp of air. It felt... different...

Bringing a tired hand up to his throat, he noticed Pit on the far side of the room.

"Pit?"

The voice sounded familiar, yet...

With a start, Marth realized it was his voice.

"Did I just talk?"

The hand positioned lightly on his throat rubbed it gently. Two glimmering metal wire-like things protruded from right above his collarbone and sunk into the flesh right before his jaw. They felt cold to the touch, and they vibrated slightly when he spoke.

"Marth?"

A groggy voice broke the bluenet out of his reverie. Zelda, Ike and Roy were waking up; they all stared at him.

"I can speak..."

The voice that came out of the boy's mouth was similar to the one he had prior to his accident, though at the same time it was drastically different. It sounded older, and Marth had barely any control over the lack of warmth in his voice; he sounded cold and uncaring.

"It's been a week. Welcome back from your experiments."

The five subjects looked around to identify the source of the voice.

"Sad how one of you is missing, though. She's been gone a little while."

No visible source was found, though the group deduced the speaker was female. A very cold, uncaring female.

"You will be transferred to room S9-C14 for the next steps in a little while. Feel free to try and figure out what has been done to you and where your friend has gone."

Silence.

"Who was that?" Roy asked, his voice raw and scratchy.

"The Director. Stay calm, close your eyes and try to figure out what was done to us."

Zelda sat in a lotus position and concentrated. Ike did the same, and the other three boys decided to copy them. The quiet of the room seemed to buzz with tension and apprehension.

With a sudden yelp and loud bang, Zelda collided with the ceiling violently then fell to the ground. Only Marth opened his eyes and walked up to the fallen girl, who smiled at him and accepted his hand. Quietly, as to not disturbed the others, she motioned for him to resume his meditation.

And so the five continued.

* * *

**AN: Yay, complete lack of action! Yay, foreshadowing! Yay, Marth has a voice!**

**R&R, as usual **


	4. Chapter 4: Dance With The Devil

The complete dark of chamber S9-C4 was punctuated by moving platforms and fragile ledges. The many places that hid traps gave no hints as to what they concealed; the only sound was that of high-pitched static. Bright vermillion was the only color our source of light visible. The small splotches of red led to a large white platform, turned a dark blue-grey in the darkness, suspended above everything.

On said platform rested a completely crimson door, dripping with what seemed to be blood. It was a simple metal door, like the rest of the facility, but it was also unusual: it had no wall to be supported by or visible room to lead to. Only five of the sixteen subjects from sector 9 knew what purpose that door served and why it was there. The veterans were being herded, along with the rest of the specimens, to the waiting chamber.

Three armor-clad guards, with their identical red visors, pushed the group in with absolutely no care for their weakened conditions. The waiting room was almost identical to their dorms in size, but there was actually light and there were no beds. It was the first time dorm mates could really get a good look at each other, and it permitted people from different rooms to get acquainted.

Every subject was different, some bearing no resemblance to human beings, others looking completely normal. Loud chatter eventually filled the room, anxiety pouring off of the specimens like waves. In a corner, the five veterans huddled; they spoke in hushed tones, occasionally looking out to the others.

"So, Fox, who's in yours?" A short, completely pink girl asked. Her voice was high-pitched and bubbly, and her over-sized, round blue eyes darted apprehensively around the room.

An average-sized anthropomorphic fox cleared his throat.

"Wolfe is basically like me, except more like a wolf and his fur is purple-grey. Red is the kid with, well, red eyes and glowing hands, while Ivy is the girl with blue speckled skin and the flower on her back"

"We had the winged boy, the red-head and the one with the mechanical throat." Ike's solemn voice was barely a whisper, and his eyes were cast downward at his reconstructed legs.

"Pit, Marth and Roy respectively." Zelda added, pulling up her top a bit. A large, bloody welt now traced across her body, from her belly button to her collarbone.

"Icarus?" Fox asked inquisitively, eyeing the brunet.

"The one and only." Ike growled impatiently. "What about you, Lucario?"

"I know you hate the first test, Ike, but calm down. Acting like this will solve nothing. I hope you haven't gotten too attached to any of them, because as you know, they don't always survive the first night…" The grave voice effectively silenced the moody bluenet.

"The black-haired kid and blonde standing next to each other are brothers, Ness and Lucas. Char is the kid with large orange wings, fangs and animal-like legs."

The blue and black jackal-like creature blinked its narrowed eyes at Puff in an unspoken question.

"I got gorilla-boy and batman. DK and Meta." The pink girl pointed them out in the crowd.

"I hate being tested so early." Fox sighed and passed a furry hand through the orange-brown fur on his head.

"We don't even get to get used to our newest modifications… I'm not even sure what they changed…" Zelda moaned, anxiously playing with the tip of her left ear.

"The first test is usually the simplest." Lucario's voice resonated deep in the veterans' skulls, effectively calming them. "Although the newer ones don't always come back, I've only seen two deaths over the six years I've been here."

Ike let a bitter laugh fill the room.

"I've seen so much more…"

"And they all touch you personally because you get attached to the subjects. You should know not to." Puff retorted, pulling a face.

"What about us, hmm? And talk to Zelda, I'm sure she can tell you a lot about of dorm mates. Especially one of them…" The bluenet turned and disappeared in the throng of other specimens, leaving the blonde-brunette girl to redden slowly at the other veterans' gazes.

"He's right about us." Lucario stated solemnly, walking away.

"Yeah, we do care about each other." Fox had a lazy, crooked smiled and a look of regret in his eyes. "It's inevitable… As much as we try, most if not all of us will die in some way or another. I mean-"

A high pitched ringing stopped all conversation and forced most subjects to the polished floor in agony. As suddenly as the sound started, it stopped, and an unfeeling female voice filled the room.

"This is day one of your true experiments. I understand that not all of you know how to make use of your modifications, or even what they are, but you'll soon find out. In thirty seconds, the floor will give way underneath you. You will land in a dark room, facing a red door. Get inside said door and find your target. Kill the target. This is kill or be killed, and there will be no hesitating in the final room.

"This test will be run everyday and your injuries treated every time. It will not always be the same objective, however; be wary. The purposes of these tests will _not_ be revealed and you _will_ try your best lest you face the consequences."

There was silence for a moment.

"Have fun."

The floor split open in the center. The winged subjects, namely Char, Meta and Pit, had caught themselves and were already flying towards the faint glow of red in the distance. The veterans all landed swiftly, expecting the fall; most new specimens were not as prepared and fell on top of each other in a tangled pile of limbs.

Ivy whipped a vine at a newly materialized platform and started the test, while Zelda teleported into the black with a bright flash of orange magic. Fox got on all fours and bounded off in the general direction of the doors. Roy and Red both ran in opposite directions, while Ike, DK and Marth followed Fox; Ness and Lucas were more prudent and lit up their path with a crude spark of PSI energy. Soon Wolfe, Lucario and Puff were stealthily following the faint glow that came from the door.

Roy pelted under hanging traps and leapt over pit traps with ease; soon he began to gain confidence. His stride was even and paced. Suddenly, a spiked wall dressed itself in front of him, making the redhead slide to an abrupt stop. The teen snapped his fingers in frustration, trying to find a way around it, and instead let out a yelp of surprise: a tiny flame had formed on top of his index finger.

It was quite strange, as not only was the flame floating; Roy could not feel its warmth. He made a closed fist, and then opened his hand quickly, earning a burst of fire. He did this again at the wall, the blast starting to heat the metal. Soon the spikes closest to where he was blasting were melted goop and a hole was forming. The hint of a shaky smiled formed on the corner of the pale boy's lips as he slipped through said hole and resumed running.

Not too far from the redhead raced Ike, his steps surprisingly light. A look of apprehension and hesitation seemed to be permanently inked onto his strong features, though he kept running. A sudden, faint scream from his in front of him caught his attention, causing him to speed up.

A gasping figure lay in the dark, blood seeping from its frail body. The subject had been struck in the side by a large weight swinging downward, and Ike could see some broken ribs poking at the skin. As he came closer, he recognized the younger face immediately, even though it was dark.

"Please help me…" Roy whispered, trying to sit up and strike a flame.

Ike didn't hesitate. The test was do or die, every man for himself, and helping another had gotten him in trouble before. But this was Roy, one of the subjects he felt the need to protect, even though he had never directly spoken to him.

"It looks really bad. I'd try to find Zelda or Lucario but that would be near impossible, so I'll stay with you. I don't want to kill anybody anyway."

The bluenet helped the shorter teen sit up.

High above the pair Pit flew, his still-bloody wings spread gloriously. A quick glance downward revealed him in the lead, though it also brought upon him a vicious wave of nausea. Flying came pretty easy for the young brunet, though his terrible vertigo was definitely not helping; he was thankful that Meta and Char had gotten into an aerial fight and crash landed somewhere, leaving him the only subject to be suspended high above.

An almost indiscernible whir caused the boy to press his palms to his ears in pain. A survey of the chamber below him revealed Marth bolting past everybody else, his lips pressed together and vocal chords thrumming in a low hum. The bluenet looked to be the size of a small animal, and the sheer height sent wave after wave of nausea crashing over Pit.

The brunet's mind went foggy with fear and irrational panic; he stopped flapping his wings and plummeted towards the platform beneath him, landing with a loud thump. When the boy raised his head, the movement causing him only slight pain, he noticed the beautiful vermilion color of the door in front of him. In one swift movement, the winged subject was on his feet and through the door into a claustrophobic black room.

In the corner, chained to the wall by her ankle was a blonde girl. Realization hit Pit like a wall.

"Samus, you're the target?" The boy asked, kneeling in front of the beautiful young woman. All she could do was nod her head, obviously distraught at the fact that one of her dorm mates had made it in first.

"Is there any way you'll make it out alive?"

"Only if you kill someone else." She whispered, looking down at her feet. "But it'd be better if you killed me."

Pit backed away, shocked at the weakness of the formerly strong girl.

"I couldn't kill you."

"Why? I've never showed kindness to you. You know nothing about me! You shouldn't care!" Samus snapped with a sudden change in temper.

"I still think I know you from somewhere. And I've overheard you and Ike's conversations while I was pretending to be unconscious… You have an important role to play in all of this. I will find out what."

With that, the boy positioned himself in front of the now closed door, waiting for the next specimen to walk in. It didn't take long for DK, the ape-man, to burst in and receive a well-placed kick in the stomach; it didn't affect him at all, and Pit knew he couldn't kill him.

"Samus! Are there any weapons in here?"

"Heads up."

The rusted knife landed in between him and DK. For a moment no one moved.

"So you're who I have to kill?" His gruff voice was directed at Samus, who responded with a nod. "Well then. Move out of my way."

DK reached for the blade, but Pit was faster. Before any more words could be uttered, the knife was buried to the hilt in the man's stomach.

All sounds seemed to cease, as if they were all aware of the slow, painful death of the subject. A slow crackling sound was heard before the cold voice of the Director punctuated the chamber.

"Congratulations to anyone who is still alive. You've officially survived the first test."

**AN: I don't have much to say in this chapter, except for the usual thanks to my reviewers :) You guys make my world go round!**

**I'm currently working on a Christmas oneshot, so it should be up within the week. Do me a favor and read it when I post it, please.**

**One more thing: have you guys noticed that all of the chapter titles are song titles yet?**


	5. Chapter 5: Fight

"The second test will begin tomorrow. Please return to your dorms."

The Director flicked a switch, causing the doors from the large testing chamber to open. The blonde woman watched her subjects limp out of the room through the glass wall of the control room, which was perched high up in the chamber itself. Behind the woman stood the head scientist, Mario, who was flicking through information on his little display.

"Director, is there any particular reason why you watch over and control this sector personally?"

The blonde turned around, chin high and icy blue eyes piercing the pudgy employee. The scientist put down his screen, and, noticing her stare, began to regret asking.

"This is my facility. I can do whatever I please. No questions shall be asked."

The Director returned to watching the specimen make their way out. Scanning over the room, she noticed with a twinge of annoyance that only one had been hit by an obstacle. Though when she thought about it, the blonde realized what it meant.

"I am pleased with the modifications you have applied, Doctor. We are close to our objective."

Dr. Mario, who had resumed looking through info on the device, almost dropped it. Not one employee had ever received a compliment from their cold superior. The mustached man suppressed a small smile.

"Thank you, Director. The specimens from this sector are the most refined, in my opinion."

"Yes... these are definitely the most advanced. I find them... fascinating."

"I find it interesting, how they've established a system, with the 'veterans' helping the newer subjects along the way. The relationships that have developed in the shorter span of time that the new ones have been here are incredibly diverse, from dislike to friendship to attraction."

"Hmm. How very observant of you, Doctor Mario."

The woman stared at the chamber for a moment.

"Instead of the regular second test, tomorrow they'll face the new one. Order Tech to prep the chamber."

The mustached scientist nodded.

"Yes, Director."

* * *

The door to S9-D4 slid open with its familiar hiss, letting through a pair of wardens. A barked order woke the sleeping subjects, then lined them up and dragged them towards the holding chamber. Once again reunited, the veterans began talking about the people in their respective dorms, injuries, weaknesses, and strengths.

Again the unfeeling voice of the Director filled the room, warning them of their upcoming testing.

"The second test begins as the first, being dropped into the chamber. But you aren't facing the second test."

Veterans shared a confused and somewhat alarmed glance.

"You are all to face the newest challenge. Veterans will remember the 'brawls' that come after the fifteenth test; this one is similar, but you will go against Sector 10, the sector opposite to yours. It is a fight to the death. Two fights a day, no time limit."

The cold woman paused, letting the subjects process the information.

"Today's two matches will be Puff, then Red. The rest can watch from the screen."

Before anyone could ask what screen she was talking about, the back wall rotated to reveal a large television showcasing the modified test chamber; meanwhile, the pink veteran was led out of the room by a warden.

Up inside her control room, the Director smirked devilishly as Puff and a subject from Sector 10 entered the white arena. The comically yellow-haired teen was better known as Chu, another veteran. Long icteritious ears showed through his jaw-length hair; his skin was also yellow in color. A tail in the shape of a zigzag fluttered nervously.

"Fight."

The woman watched with glee as her two subjects jumped at each other furiously. Puff sang a low melody under her breath, rendering Chu slower; the yellow boy retaliated with a charge of electricity that hit the pink girl in the chest and sent her flying.

The girl contacted the wall with a sickening crash. Still singing, she attempted to get up, but the injuries she had sustained from contact with the wall proved too painful to let her stand. Her opponent walked up to the weakened girl, who looked back at him with her big blue eyes. Chu hesitated.

"This is a fight to the death. Failure to comply will result in an unpleasant punishment."

The Director narrowed her eyes as the yellow boy bent down and whispered something to the girl; the blonde spectator assumed it was something along the lines of "sorry". Wincing, Chu then let loose a bolt of electricity that shot the poor veteran against the wall a second time, effectively killing her.

As the cold woman in the control room smiled at Chu's victory, the subjects in the holding chamber had a different reaction. Shock and sadness dampened the air; no one made a sound. All just stared at the large screen, watching the corpse of their fellow specimen as if she would stand up and continue fighting. Not a single individual believed that she would have gone down without a real fight.

Fox bowed his head in respect. Soon the whole room was imitating him, wether they had known her or not. The veterans knew it was an important loss to their little team in Sector 9.

They were snapped out of their mourning by a warden arriving for Red. The brunet was dragged away, his young face set in an expression of fear.

"He's dead." Zelda shook her head, staring at the ground. "Why does our sector deserve this?"

Lucario blinked, then put a hand on the blonde-brunette's shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

"The most probable answer is that our sector is the group of subjects closest to the Director's objective. Sector 10 would probably be second, if only because there are less people."

"How do you know there are less people?"

Marth tilted his head to the side quizzically.

"I can see their auras. We are less in numbers, but our auras are stronger."

Conversation ceased when the brawl started, and all eyes were turned towards the screen.

* * *

Red dust whipped violently at a lone man's body, stinging where it hit the skin. The man kneeled in the windy desert, finger pressed to his temple and eyes closed.

"This is Snake. Status report requested."

For a minute, only the crackling of static was heard.

"Snake, this is Falcon. Clues to the location have been recovered. A transmission was also interrupted, and another was received from our spy. The double agent was recovered, and there has been two deaths, as well as two severe injuries."

"Anything from Mewtwo?"

"Negative."

The bearded brunet grunted and stood, a hand over his eyes to shield them from the sand storm.

"Beginning infiltration."

* * *

**A/N: A million apologies for the month-long delay -**

**Main reason I couldn't update is because after my hand had finished healing from my previous injury, this girl I go to karate with went and broke it. It's all better now, so more updates for you guys!**

**Reviewers: I love you. **

**~Guessworks**


	6. Chapter 6: Escape Part 1

"Uh, I think this is it."

Two brunets stood next to each other, staring apprehensively at an aged steel door. The one that had spoken was short, and but a boy, while the other was tall and gruff.

The eldest reached for the handle, and to his surprise, it was unlocked. The worn metal creaked as it swung open into darkness. Determined expressions were set upon their faces as they simultaneously stepped into the hallway.

"Snake, Diddy, the control box for their security measures should be to the right."

A crackling sound followed the transmission. The pair turned and found the panel. Snake peeled it open cautiously, assuming there were security measures; once again, it surprised him to find that it was unguarded.

"I wonder why this is so open. I mean, just about anyone could walk in here and disable the place."

Diddy furrowed his brows, taking equipment out of a small bag.

"It's in the middle of town, where no one would look- or expect it to be."

Snake took the equipment out of the boy's hand while the younger was thinking about it. He resumed fiddling around in the control box for a minute before closing the panel and brushing his hands off on his jeans.

"We're done."

* * *

"The other veterans dislike you. Puff disliked you the most."

Lucario's voice startled Samus out of her little trance. She blinked.

"How so?"

She felt weird, talking to someone who she only heard in her head. Even if he spoke aloud, she doubted she could have heard him; all subjects were moved to a new dorm together, and the multiple conversations drowned out all other sounds. Puff's death and Red's victory were the subject of everybody's ramblings.

"They're... suspicious. Or at least, suspicious is the best word for it."

The blue jackal-boy was floating an inch above the ground, facing the blonde; she was sitting on the bed she had claimed once they were moved.

"Of what?"

"You. I will not go into detail, but you don't have to be secretive around me. I know, and Ike knows of my knowledge."

Samus narrowed her eyes at the heavily modified teen in front of her.

"You're not going to tell anyone."

"Don't be silly." Lucario mentally barked. "What would I gain by telling them? They will definitely mistrust you, and one of the best veterans in this facility. Both of you will be needed."

Suddenly, the aforementioned blue-haired cyborg appeared behind his fellow veteran.

"They're done. Roy's been informed and he's starting his side right now."

Samus blinked grumpily at them. The blue jackal turned around, and she assume he'd replied.

Ike rubbed his tired eyes with a mechanical hand, then stifled a yawn. The blonde, of course, knew exactly why he was tired. She knew what Roy was doing, she knew what Lucario was talking about, she knew why the veterans mistrusted her.

They had a hell of a reason to suspect her.

Zelda scanned over the crowd calmly, her gaze resting on Marth. Pointed ears twitched, trying to pick up what the delicate blue-haired boy was saying to Ivy; she was startled, however, by Red tapping her on the shoulder. He silently pointed a long finger at Fox, who was standing on a bed next to Ike and Lucario. Samus sat on the bed next to them, appearing to have fallen asleep.

The blonde-brunette narrowed her eyes as she made her way over to her friends. Why would the girl fall asleep when it was obvious that they were about to announce something? There were so many questions that she would have liked answered.

Fox cleared his throat.

"Please be quiet for a minute."

The teen didn't need to ask, however, as almost everyone was already staring at them.

"First phase is in motion. Most of you don't know what I'm talking about, so let us explain. We will leave in an orderly fashion, and all of you will be quiet. Not a sound. The cameras, motions sensors and bugs have been disabled. This does not mean that there will not be guards. In every sector, the same thing is happening."

The vulpine paused in time for an explosive clang to ring out in the small dorm. Subjects whipped towards the noise, but found it to be Roy; the redhead stood by a twisted, half-melted piece of steel. The flame on his hand flickered out while a large, albeit weak, grin played on his tired face.

With grace Zelda lept off the board the veterans were standing on. The other experienced subjects followed suit, and soon stood by the doorway that the short specimen had freed up. While the others scrambled about silently, the cyborg and the vulpine melted away into the hall.

* * *

"Everything seems to be going smoothly."

The blonde woman narrowed her eyes at the many screens in front of her, concentration etched on her futures. The tapes revealed nothing more than the occasional guard.

Behind her stood the head doctor, curious as to why he had been summoned. Next to him stood the head warden, a tall, dark man with orange hair and a crooked nose. The scientist remembered enhancing the guard to help him secure the position.

"That's what worries me." The Director furrowed her brows and turned to her head guard. "I've been studying the behavioral patterns of our subjects, and have only found the usual. Have you anything out of the norm to report?"

The warden shook his head.

"Sector 9 is the closest, but it is also the one that worries me most..." The blonde brought a hand up to her necklace.

"Director... no one other than you knows these people best. If nothing has changed..."

The woman lifted her chin and silenced the portly doctor with an icy glare.

"The fact that there has been no change worries me."

Suddenly tired, she sat down delicately on a black leather chair and waved her hand in dismissal. Her employees hurried out of the office. The tyrant sighed and looked mournfully at the screen.

Recently she'd began to doubt her motives. With Paletuna dead and more than one politically important person in her grasp, she still found the world strong. The blonde had been outraged to find that she had been replaced; she wasn't entirely surprised at the fact, though.

More and more she asked herself questions that she constantly found herself unable to answer. The Director looked back on her actions and found herself revolted. Despite that she still looked up to her original goal; the tantalizing dream was within reach.

But did she still want to follow the road she had taken to get it?

* * *

**A/N: Ack, short chapter! I think the universe might just hate my right hand. I injure it every time it heals. This time, I have a second degree burn D:**

**For those of you who have read/reviewed/faved my oneshot, Always Together, thank you thank you thank you! Especially Souldin. I will take your advice, thank you!  
The fact that so much people have added it to their favorites makes me want to cry. You guys are amazing!**

**For those of you who haven't read it, go read it now!**


	7. Chapter 7: Snuff

"Ike, Meta, Red, Pit and Samus will execute D. Zelda, Ivy, Char, Roy and I will help Sector 10. Lucario, Marth, Wolfe and Lucas will secure the exit. Understood?" Fox swept his gaze over the Sector 9 subjects. Behind him stood the other veterans, who were quietly and unnoticeably whispering goodbyes to each other.

Behind the group lay two guards, completely mauled and rid of their weapons; the powerful laser rifles were in the hands of a certain blonde girl and a bat-winged teen. Vermilion blood stained the usually spotless white of the control room floor. The veterans stood on the completely crushed and sparking panel that was used to activate the infernal testing chamber.

Silently the indigo-haired cyborg jumped down from his perch and headed out the door, motioning for his group to follow. Four individuals broke apart from the group, trailing behind the trusted subject. The remaining people in the room split into their respective units and exited the chamber promptly.

* * *

A delicate hand was brought up to the cold piece of metal around a blonde's neck. The little silver crown felt warm against the Director's soft skin. Her unfeeling blue eyes scanned the screens once again, still proving nothing to be wrong; a nagging suspicion tugged at her mind.

The woman had gotten rid of all doubt and replaced it with cold cruelty and determination. She had gotten that far already, and there was absolutely no turning back. Another scan of the screens showed nothing. But...

A long finger pressed the rewind button for the tapes. There! A skip in the footage. There was no way the high-definition cameras would skip without interference. The blonde swiftly turned around and grabbed her small silver laptop. Typing ridiculously fast, she logged on to the security database.

All measures were switched off.

A raw cry of frustration escaped her lips as she shot towards the intercom. Her movements were rapid and somewhat clumsy- she had to redial the guard station's number.

"Ganon! Get over here. NOW!" she screeched into the device. Faintly she could hear her anger echo throughout the facility.

The Director took a breath and calmed herself. Her guards were strong. Though she knew she should be panicking, the woman ran her hand through her silky hair and calmly sat down. After a moment, she heard the quiet hiss of the door opening and turned around-

But there was no one.

The metal door closed with another hydraulic hiss. Narrowing her eyes, the blonde stood and took a step towards the end of the room.

"Hello."

The woman whipped around, swinging her arm out in a defensive manner. A brunet with glowing red eyes stood a couple of meters behind her. Angrily she pulled a hidden knife out of her dress and advanced towards the boy.

"How are you doing, Miss Director?" A voice behind the blonde startled her.

The she turned around again and noticed another brunet standing by the door. He had large white wings and held... her knife? The Director looked down at her hands. She held nothing.

She rotated again, this time ninety degrees, only to be met with a large pair of yellow eyes. From the ceiling hung an upside-down black haired subject, a small smile plastered to his face.

"What do you three think you are doing here?" The cold woman screeched, trying to get to one of the many pistols hidden in the room.

"We are here to, simply put, kill you."

This time the woman turned slowly. Her icy blue eyes rested upon a shorter blonde and a blue-haired cyborg. The corner of her mouth twitched before she broke out into sarcastic laughter.

"Oh, this is ironic. My own-"

"Who told you you could speak?"

The other blonde stared at the other with hard azure eyes that reflected immeasurable hate. She held up a long laser rifle, with the barrel aimed directly at the despised woman's heart.

"Do your little friends not know? Or do you just really hate me?" The Director discreetly stole a look at her watch.

"She was serious when she told you to be quiet. Don't be convinced that Ganon will come for you. He's dead." The tall boy, who was obviously the leader, stood with his arms crossed.

"Even you, Ike? You didn't tell them? What a surprise. Maybe it's time we tell them all of you two's dark secrets." The Director was obviously stalling.

"Shut up." Samus growled and put her finger on the trigger.

"Come on, shoot me. Blast a hole through my chest. I know you won't be able to."

"Shut up!" The female subject screamed, her hands starting to shake.

"You could never kill me. You can kill, but you just don't have the heart to kill me."

"Don't say it!" The others watched in silence as Samus got angrier and angrier.

"You had no trouble killing other people's mothers. Isn't that right? Care to tell the boy how fun it was, cutting Paletuna up?"

Pit almost dropped the knife at the woman's statement.

"And now your big brother trusts you- it's so sweet. We all know he would have killed me by now."

Samus growled.

"You know it's not too late to stay on my side. Our differences can be forgiven. Together we could have it all..."

The younger blonde closed her blue eyes for a moment.

"In my eyes, you were always dead. I replaced you. To me, you never existed!" The girl paused, barely containing her anger. "Mom, I HATE YOU! Go and DIE!"

With those words she finally pulled the trigger. The Director's eyes went wide with shock for but a moment before all life was sucked out of them. The red blast sent her body crashing against the wall in an explosion of delicious crimson blood. Samus shot the corpse of her mother once, twice, thrice more before throwing the gun down.

Ike put a hand on her shoulder.

"Peach is gone. Let's go."

"Wait." Meta spoke, unhitching himself from the ceiling and landing swiftly on his feet.

"You two- you're her children?" Pit stared at the pair in disbelief.

"Yes. Now we need to get out of here." The blue-haired cyborg growled.

"Why should we trust you?"

"You trusted us before. Now let's go!"

And so the five left the room.

* * *

**A/N: Short chapter is short.**

**I'm in the process of making a game for school. It's pretty story-focused and the art is not too bad (I hope!). It should be done in the next to weeks. Should I make it available to the internet? Would any of you play it?**


	8. Chapter 8: New Perspective

Over twenty pairs of hopeful eyes stared at the white metal door. Each individual held their breath; the veterans, however, just stood in front of the gateway to the rest of their lives. In total there were seven veterans, all in suspended disbelief. Fox's right ear gave a slight twitch.

"We made it."

The vulpine turned to his blue-haired cyborg friend and put a furry hand on the boy's shoulder. The blond father brought his split daughter into a warm embrace. Lucario, for the first time in many months, smiled. The wiry, yellow-haired boy known as Chu couldn't help but grinning excitedly at the ink black figure next to him.

With an ever so familiar hydraulic hiss, the sheet of medal slid open. It revealed the world. Savoring the precious moment, all thirty-some subjects slowly walked outside. Greeting them were four figures, all varying in sizes and shapes- but bearing the same anticipating grin. Silence envelopped the group for a moment before the blue jackal-boy stepped forward.

"Brother!" He exclaimed, running to Mewtwo and wrapping the other teen in a hug.

The merged sectors exploded into life, reality finally reaching them. They were outside. The Director was dead.

Every single one of them, every single soul, was free at last.

* * *

The man turned on the television, watching as the channels fuzzily flickered on the brand new LCD screen. When he got to channel 9, he stopped and smiled.

The news reporter, a beautiful woman with greenish-blue skin and a flower on her back, was speaking enthousiastically about the small group of soldiers known as the Brigade. Behind her, a large picture of a cyborg, a fiery redhead, a blue jackal, an anthropomorphic fox, a wolf and a bat-winged man was shown.

"The Brigade led the army to a stunning victory yesterday. Brigade leaders Fox McCloud and Ike Greil were not available for comment, but I think we all know what they would have told us."

The next story showcased a blonde man, well into his fifties or sixties, and his blonde-brunette daughter and a tall, cerulean-haired man. Together they stood with the new Minister and his girlfriend, an angel and a strawberry blonde assassin.

"Lady Zelda announced her pregnancy yesterday. The father is, of course, Lord Marth. Lady Samus had no comment as to her and Minister Pit's plans for a family yet. When asked, Link simply laughed and said 'Why rush? We have all of the time in the world.'"

The man sitting on the couch couldn't help but have his smile widen at the next story. It showed the old halls of the facility, now being rebuilt by a variety of different characters.

"Thanks to the many subjects who escaped years ago, we were able to find the facility. It is in the community's interest that they wish to convert it into a training and research center." The pretty turquoise woman spoke, a small smile of her face.

The second news reporter, a big guy built like a dinosaur, shuffled his papers.

"Training and research of what, exactly?"

"Of anything we want."

"Well, Ivy, I sure can't wait to go back and look at it again. Despite what happened, I think the subjects have done quite well."

"Yes, Char, I have to agree. We did do really well."

Their faces were completely lit up with knowing grins.

So was Snake's as the man turned off the TV and went in his kitchen to get a sandwich.

* * *

**A/N: Short ending is short.**

**I apologize a million times over for the delay, and the final chapter being so ridiculously short (~700 words) T.T I kept rewriting this because I was unsatisfied with the quality and lenght... Well, I guess this is as long as it's going to get.**

**And finally, a story with a completely positive ending! Sorry there was a lack of character developement for those outside of Sector 9's Dorm 4 throughout this story. It's just... there are soo many .**

**Well, Illuminated Faces was a fun ride. Love you all, and see you next fic!**


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